Under the Moon, the Cherry Blossom Sways
by Lady C Andrews
Summary: UPDATED! Under the Moonlight, a lot can happen. Lee and Sakura. Many different oneshots and drabbles strung together to create harmony, love, and peace. Chapter 5: Candy Kisses.
1. Chapter 1: Notice Me

_**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto._

_**AN**: Reedited 1/9/07. Previously Lotuses and Blossoms. I decided to completely change these themes. Instead of using the 30 kisses theme, I'm just going to keep the two I started and add more of my own drabbles and whatnot. Nothing changed in chapter one and two except for the Author's note and title. And, chapter two should be the last of angst, unless I'm in the mood for dark and brooding. Oh, yeah, since I'm abandoning the whole thirty kisses thing, not all of them are going to involve kisses._

_ I hate angst.  
_

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_**Under the Moon,  
The Cherry Blossom Sways  
**__**By SapphireWhiteTigress**_

**#001 - Notice Me**

_**----------**_

He wanted her to desperately take notice of him, but her attention was always directed at another. He even went so far as to make a complete fool of himself in public once. It worked, for only a few short minutes, after he slipped and fell onto the ground, a bucket of ice cold water landing on his head. She giggled at that and asked if he was alright. He nodded, astonished by the sound of her angelic laughter. But, it was short lived as she went back to Sasuke. His heart broke a little bit more that day.

The second time he tried to get her attention was on a mission they were assigned together. He was ecstatic about being on the same mission with the one he cared for the most. On their way back, he tried to tell her a joke. His only results were a raised eyebrow and a small smile. He passed it off as progress.

The third and final time he tried to get her to notice him was during a search and rescue mission. The enemy was strong, stronger than most they have come up against. He was tiring and his speed was failing, being that he has been at it for what seemed like hours, and probably was. She was slowing too, he could tell. He had enough. He needed to win. He needed to get to her before anything bad happened. He would take down his opponent, opening up the first five gates. He killed him.

He turned then, seeing her on her hands and knees, her breath coming in short gasps. Her opponent stood a few feet away, his palm extended to her, focusing his chakra in that hand.

He needed to be quick if he was to protect his angel from harm. He pushed himself passed his limits and ran, ran in front of the blast that was sure to claim his life. As long as she was safe, as long as Sakura was safe, he didn't care. He took the blast head on, it tearing a hole in his chest. The girl behind him gasped in shock as he took the attack for her. He collapsed on the ground, blood seeping thoroughly through his wound.

The enemy ninja left them to die.

He knew.

She knew.

He wasn't going to live through this. Tears streamed down her face, everything began to blur. She held him in her arms, asking him why...why would he do that for her? Why would he throw his life away to save hers?

His response was that he loved her. And he'll always love her. He promised to die protecting her. And he kept that promise. And then he said something that took her by surprise as she grasped his hand, his life quickly ebbing away.

"I would do anything...to get you to...look over here...to get you to...notice me..." He whispered, closing his eyes. Those eyes that were once filled with so much youth were now filled with...nothing.

She cried harder onto his chest. "Lee-kun...I...I've always noticed you..." She whispered, her tears falling faster now. She looked up into his lifeless face and leaned forward, her hand still grasping his tightly, as she gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek. "...I've always noticed you..."

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_** End  
**_


	2. Chapter 2: Protector No More

_**AN**: Same thing as the first chapter.  
_

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_**Under the Moon,  
The Cherry Blossom Sways  
**__**By SapphireWhiteTigress**_

**#002 - Protector No More**

_**----------**_

She stared at the letter as her eyes burned with tears. She couldn't comprehend the words that was written on it. It had to be fake, it **_had_** to be a lie. This just...it just couldn't be true. She wanted to curl up in a small ball and cry, but she knew crying wouldn't solve anything. Crying wouldn't bring him back. There was nothing she could do, but the tears came nonetheless.

She felt horrible, as if her own heart was ripped from her chest. And it might as well have been. The pain was excruciating. The sobs wrecked her fragile body as she clenched the small parchment to her chest, the words still going through her mind, but only one word stuck out.

_Death._

_He was dead._

_He was gone_.

She fell to the floor in a heap and cried, her sobs sounding throughout the entire complex of her home. _It hurts so damn much_. Of course it would hurt. She loved him. He was the one thing that made her life worth living. He was always there. Always there protecting her, keeping her from danger. But where was she when **_he_** needed protecting? Where was she in **_his_** time of need?

The sobs grew louder as flashbacks of their time together flooded her mind. She remembers his bright smile, his equally bright eyes, his weird outfit which made him unique from everyone else and his bowl-cut hair, to his thick eyebrows. She loved everything about him. Everything.

--

_He grinned at her, his teeth shining brilliantly. He stuck his thumb into the air as he looked at her and he declared, ever so energetically, "Be my girlfriend! I will protect you with my life!"_

_And she shot him down. Horribly. She called him lame. She thought he was ugly and not worth her time, unlike Sasuke. Sasuke was her dreamboat, the guy everyone loved, including her. She wanted to be Sasuke's girlfriend._

--

The look of disappointment and sadness that was on his face came rushing back to her mind. How could she have been so foolish then? Even after she turned him down, he still came and rescued her from those sound ninja in the Forest of Death. He still kept his promise, even if she hadn't agreed to be his girlfriend that day. Her opinion on him changed. Looks doesn't always matter, it's what's on the inside that count, and Lee proved that as long as you had a heart as pure as gold, you could be the most dashingly handsome guy in the world, and Lee was.

"_Remember? Whenever you are in a pinch, I will be there."_

He would always be there...he broke his promise. He left her. He was no longer there for her. He was no longer her protector.

"Sakura?" The voice of her friend broke into her thoughts and she turned around and saw Naruto through her tears. He looked just as distraught as she did. And he should. He considered Lee one of his best friends. The news of his death must have affected him too. Naruto helped her to stand and unclenched the piece of paper that was still in her hand. "I'm...sorry, Sakura."

Sakura turned away from him. Sorry wasn't going to bring him back. She didn't want Naruto's sympathy. Or his pity. She wanted Lee back.

Naruto's eyes scanned the room of Sakura's home, finding something missing. "Where's Haru?"

The pain intensified at the name of her son. **_Their_** son. Haru...her four year old child. He was too young to know that his father was gone, never returning, but Haru was smarter than most kids his age. He'll instantly pick up on the emotions that was going through her and the knowledge that his father was never coming home.

"He's...with Ino."

She closed her eyes as another memory bombarded her.

--

"_It's a boy!" Tsunade declared as she held the small baby child in her arms, wrapping him in a pale blue blanket. She smiled down at the adorable child before handing him to Sakura, who was resting on the bed, exhausted from going through her first childbirth. "You did good, Sakura."_

_Sakura nodded and took her child in her arms. She looked down at him as she cradle him in her arms, his bright eyes staring up at her, wide in innocence. He had his father's eyes. _

_And speaking of his father..._

_Lee stood a few feet away, watching his beautiful wife and his beautiful son. He was scared to move, as if he would shatter this precious dream. Tears traveled down his face as he slowly approached the two. Sakura smiled up at him and handed him the baby. "Say hello to your son, Lee."_

_Lee accepted the child, scared to death as he prayed he wouldn't drop the tiny life that he and his Sakura created. The baby looked up at Lee, his eyes unblinking. The tears of happiness continued to fall from his eyes as he tried to comprehend the fact that he was a father._

_He was a father._

_He had smiled down at Sakura with so much love, she thought he would explode from happiness. He had bent down and place a soft kiss on her forehead, whispering that he loves her. That he loves them._

--

"Naruto...I...just want to be alone..." Sakura whispered with her back still towards her old teammate.

Naruto nodded in understanding. "Alright, Sakura." He turned to leave before calling over his shoulder, "If there's anything you need, all you have to do is ask." And then, Naruto was gone, leaving Sakura alone with her thoughts and her memories of the man she loved.

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_**End **_


	3. Chapter 3: Under the Moonlight

_**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto, guys. Sorry to disappoint those who hoped that one day Kishimoto-sama will suddenly start writing Naruto fanfiction under such a weird pen name such as SapphireWhiteTigress or the like; completely ignoring the fact that he's already playing God with the actual anime/manga. _

_**AN**: The actual start of my "Under the Moon, The Cherry Blossom Sways" series. Enjoy it, guys. This is for you._

_**---**_

**_Under the Moon,_**  
_**The Cherry Blossom Sways  
By SapphireWhiteTigress**_

**_#003 – Under the Moonlight_**

_**---**_

_The moonlight reflects upon her in such a way that it leaves him breathless._

She is there, standing in a field of beautifully blossomed Cherry Blossoms, the soft pink petals – pink like her hair and soft as such – falls in a hypnotizing dance around her. She is beautiful, oh so beautiful. Possibly more so than the blossoms that surrounds her.

It was captivating and mesmerizing.

_He watches her silently, wanting to approach her, but he holds back. He knows that he should wait._

She doesn't notice him standing there, as she is too engross in her own thoughts. Her eyes are closed and she breathes in, feeling the soft wind around her. She allows it to caress her, like long fingers brushing through her hair. Her face is lifted skywards, towards the cloudless night sky where the moon and the stars are the only things visible.

_He steps forward, but stops. He doesn't want to disturb her peace of mind. He loves her enough to wait. He continues to admire her from afar._

Her eyes open slowly as she clasps her delicate hands in front of her. Her short hair sways in the night, joining the fallen blossoms in their wayward dance across the sky. She felt eyes on her but she knew who was there. He would always watch her, it seems. She never asked why; she's afraid of the answer, but tonight something felt different. It could have been the bright moon in the sky, casting a glow around them, or the dancing cherry blossoms in the wind. She turns towards him, a small smile on her face and her eyes sparkled in the moonlight.

Her admirer was taken aback by her beauty once again.

"Lee," she said softly, allowing the wind to carry her voice to his ears.

_He doesn't move from his spot, fascinated with her. _

She turns her head back towards the sky and noticed a stray star, shooting across the heavens above. Lee also noticed it. It was truly a beautiful sight, but not nearly as beautiful as the girl that stood a few feet away from him.

"Make a wish," Sakura whispered to the boy, although her voice was low and soft, he still hard her.

_His wish has already come true…under the moonlight._

_**---**_

_**End**_


	4. Chapter 4: Ice Cream

_**AN**: Who **doesn'**t like Ice Cream?_

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_**Under the Moon,  
The Cherry Blossom Sways  
By SapphireWhiteTigress**_

**_#4 – Ice Cream_**

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It was rare, finding someone who has **_never_** had the pleasure of even tasting the wonderful frozen treat known as ice cream, but yet…here she was, staring at the boy as if he had sprouted wings and started flying in complete circles around her. It was completely ludicrous and all she could do was gawk at him in astonishment.

"You've…**_never_** had ice cream before?" She asked him for the umpteenth time that day. It was just so hard to believe!

Lee blushed a deep crimson at having to tell her that it was true; he has never had ice cream before. It was a bit weird, yes, but he never indulged himself in sweets before; ice cream included. All his training and missions left no room for such pleasures.

Sakura continued to stare at him in bewilderment. "Wow," she said; it was the only thing she could say. She quickly made up her mind. "We'll have to change that then!" She grabbed a hold of his hand and dragged him off to the nearest ice cream vender.

Lee's blush deepened as she took hold of his hand, following closely behind her. He was still a bit unsure as to how the topic of ice cream got into their conversation, but he supposed that it didn't really matter as long as he was with her. They soon arrived to their destination and Sakura released his hand, glancing at the menu with many different frozen treats. It was a hot day, so ice cream seemed highly appropriate.

"Which flavor do you want?" She asked, not taking her eyes off of the menu.

Lee fidgeted behind her. "Ah…Sakura-chan, I cannot ask you to spend your hard earned money on me. Allow me to treat you instead!"

Sakura rolled her eyes at the typical Lee. "It's okay, Lee-san, I don't mind. I offered."

Lee shook his head, determined. It is only fair that he should buy for her; not vice versa. "I insist, Sakura-chan."

Finally, Sakura tore her eyes away from the menu and looked Lee directly into his dark orbs, a beautiful smile gracing her lips. She laughed softly. "It's really okay, Lee-san, but if you insist."

That laugh was like music to his ears and he felt his heart beating erratically in his chest. He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat and returned her smile. He then looked at the menu that she was looking at only seconds before. "Then, Sakura-chan, which flavor do you prefer?"

Sakura tapped a delicate finger on her lower lip and looked skyward, contemplating the question. Lee thought it looked undeniably cute. It only took her an extra second before her decision was made. "Strawberry; two scoops." she said with shinning emerald eyes. Lee nodded and turned back to the vender who patiently waited for their order.

Lee placed their orders; he decided that he'll have the same as she, since this would be his first time eating ice cream and she really seemed to like the strawberry flavor. The vender nodded and quickly went to work as Lee watched him. Soon, their strawberry ice cream cones were ready. Lee graciously took the cones and paid the vender before handing Sakura hers.

Sakura happily accepted it and immediately went to work on eating it, careful not to get a horrid brain freeze. Lord knows how bad those are. They made their way to a vacant bench not far from the ice cream vender's stand. Lee studied the pink substance, briefly wondering were such a treat came from. He slowly stuck out his tongue to take in a small amount of it. As his tongue returned to his mouth with a small scooping of strawberry ice cream, he savored the taste.

Actually, it was pretty good.

"So, what do you think?" Sakura asked, half of her own ice cream almost gone.

Lee looked up from his cone and smiled at her as his eyes met hers. "I think I like it," he said, slowly licking it. He wasn't sure which was better; the ice cream or spending time with Sakura, or maybe it was the combination of the two.

_**----  
**_

_**End**_


	5. Chapter 5: Candy Kisses

Under the Moon

AN: I don't know about you, but I _love_ kisses…

_Under the Moon  
the Cherry Blossom Sways_

"_Candy Kisses"_

_By SapphireWhiteTigress_

_--_

"Want a kiss?"

That simple and seemingly innocent question had all the blood rushing to Rock Lee's head. He blinked his large round eyes as if to clear them and then rubbed his ears. Had his ears been playing tricks on him? Sakura-chan would never ask such a question! And to him, least of all! He could only stare at Sakura's innocent expression, as if she was unaware of what she had just said to him. She had to know the affect a question like that would have on the boy.

A kiss; he had never been kissed before! And here she was, asking if he wanted one! Maybe she mistaken him for someone else? It has happened before…ignoring the fact that Lee has his own distinctive look; the haircut, the green jumpsuit, the large round eyes and the fuzzy eyebrows. It was _impossible_ to mistake him for someone else.

"Lee, do you want one?" She sounded impatient.

Maybe she hadn't mistaken him for someone else. Did she really mean it, though? Does she really want to kiss him? Before he could answer her question, Sakura held out a small triangular item wrapped in silver. He stared at it for a moment, trying to decide what it could be.

Sakura repeated her question, sounding somewhat exasperate. "Lee, would you like a chocolate kiss or not?"

"A chocolate kiss?" Lee inquired, sounding unsure.

The pink-haired girl lifted an elegant eyebrow. "You have never had a kiss before?"

He briefly wondered if she was referring to actual kisses or the chocolate delight. Either way, the answer was essentially the same. Lee then shook his head no, indicating that he truly never had a kiss.

Sakura was shock, to say the least. She had never met a single person who had never partaken in the wonderful delectable treat. "Well, close your eyes and open your mouth." She said, slowly unwrapping the candy from its wrapping.

Lee did as he was told and closed his eyes, only briefly hesitating with opening his mouth. Soon, something was place on his tongue and on instinct, he immediately closed his mouth, yet his eyes still remained closed as he savor the taste.

The rich and creamy, chocolaty sensation teased his taste buds as he slowly chewed. Chocolate was a rare treat that he hadn't the privilege of treating himself to. It was good, really good, and what made it better was the fact that Sakura gave it to him. Nothing else in the world tasted as good as that little kiss did in that moment.

However, the chocolate kiss wasn't the only surprise as he felt something soft and wet pressed against his check. His dark eyes snapped open to stare into the smiling face of his childhood crush, at a loss for words. Slowly, as he swallowed the candy, his hand trailed up to the spot her lips just touched. "Sakura-chan…?"

She just continued to smile as she plopped a chocolate kiss into her own mouth. "Well, you can't say that you never had a kiss."

--

_END_


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